33 Apocalypse Ave, Tuesday Afternoon

[spin_kick_snap]

It was October, even if the weather didn't match Tumblr's expectations of the month, and Kathy was getting into the spooky spirit. She'd decorated the living room with some window decals and a small stuffed bat for the cats to play with, there were a chocolate chip cookies baking in the oven and a bowl of ganache cooling on the counter for chocolate monster cookies, and two gallons of apple cider sat in the fridge, waiting to be mulled or spiked with cinnamon-flavored booze.

Now she was sprawled on the couch, playing through her repertoire of songs she'd learned on the guitar, and trying to figure out if she could learn to play Bad Moon Rising before it ceased being relevant. Hmm, maybe she should try to play something off of the Bad Seeds' Murder Ballads instead.

Comments

[rebelseekspizza]

"How about you play that guitar instead of hittin' on me, smartass?" Dante said. "Show me some rock, maybe I'll pipe down."

[spin_kick_snap]

"I'm no hitting on you, I'm telling you you're wrong," Kathy said primly, picking up her guitar again. "...Though both of those do it for me, so I can see the confusion."

She sorted through the few songs she knew. She had a tendency to pick one song and practice it until she had it down almost perfectly before starting to learn a new one and so her selection wasn't all that wide yet. In the end, she picked the one that was at least modern, though Dante would probably argue how 'rock' Daft Punk was.

[rebelseekspizza]

Dante let out a soft snicker as he figured out what she was playing. "Aw, man," he said. "We gotta stop Spencer from dictating your whole guitar deal."

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"I only just started learning!" Kathy protested, laughing hard enough that she screwed up her fingering. "Cut me some slack or go get your guitar and teach me something."

[rebelseekspizza]

Dante rolled his eyes at her. "Fine, lazy," he said, nudging her feet out of the way again so he could get up.

[spin_kick_snap]

"Lazy? I decorated and baked cookies and practiced guitar today," Kathy declared, her feet on the floor so she could get up to check on said cookies. "What did you do, huh?"

[rebelseekspizza]

"Went to the store to get us oven pizza?" Dante offered, waving at the bag near the door before he vanished into his own room to get the guitar.

[spin_kick_snap]

"Oven pizza," Kathy muttered, heading into the kitchen just as the timer on her phone dinged. The first platter of cookies came out and she industriously shifted them on a rack to cool before starting to scoop out another batch onto the cookie sheet. "I made ganache by hand."

That was because you were a nerd, Kathy. And already thinking about throwing together a quick salad to go with the pizza for dinner.

[rebelseekspizza]

"Because you have too much time on your hands," Dante called. He walked into the living room a moment later, holding his own guitar.

[spin_kick_snap]

"Oh, and what should I be doing with my hands, huh?" she asked, glancing over her shoulder at him with a wink. "I need to know so I don't do something dumb like make cookies for the house again."

[rebelseekspizza]

"Learning better songs on the guitar," Dante said sagely.

You walked right into that, Kathy.

"Maybe getting laid."

Also that.

[spin_kick_snap]

"I promise you don't have to eat any of these cookies I'm making since they come at the expense of me learning hard rock," Kathy promised, sliding the pan into the oven again and resetting her timer. "Maybe your share will tide over Raven and Anders when there's no cookies next week because I'm practicing guitar all the time."

And getting laid. Obviously.

[rebelseekspizza]

"I can always buy cookies while I'm getting pizza," Dante informed her as he pulled up a chair with his foot.

[spin_kick_snap]

"What pizza did you get for tonight?" she asked, trying to figure out whether she'd just be having salad for dinner. "You gonna serenade me while I decorate these?"

And, yeah, she was holding a cookie, still warm and gooey from the oven, out for Dante to snag before he started playing. But only because there were already an odd number of the rack.

[rebelseekspizza]

Dante reached out to pluck the cookie out of her hand. "Two pepperoni and two tomato, cheese and peppers," he said, then took a big bite.

[spin_kick_snap]

Kathy turned around again to beam at him in appreciation for the veggie one, bouncing over to drop a quick kiss on his cheek. "Just for that, I won't nag you about having any of the salad I make to go along with them," she said before going back to her current task of cutting a marshmallow into triangles with a pair of kitchen shears.

[rebelseekspizza]

"Good, cause I wasn't gonna eat any anyway," Dante said cheerfully, and polished off the cookie before sitting up with the guitar on his knee.

[spin_kick_snap]

"Yeah, but you were gonna have to listen to me try to convince you that you should," Kathy retorted, laughing. "What're you thinking about playing?"

[rebelseekspizza]

"We could either go with classic Iggy Pop or some NiN or Combichrist," Dante mused. "Thoughts?"

[spin_kick_snap]

"I dunno," Kathy teased, "do you think I'm hard rock enough to handle that? Which one is the least intense so I can start there and work my way up the chain?"

[rebelseekspizza]

"I can start you off on the gentlest of Closers," Dante offered, smirking.

[spin_kick_snap]

Kathy opened her eyes really wide. "Wait, you take requests for the Chainsmokers?" she asked in her most vapid voice. "Ohmigawd, I had no idea!"

[rebelseekspizza]

Dante rolled his eyes, striking a chord on the guitar and affecting a perky tone, "I wanna fuck you like an animallll..."

[spin_kick_snap]

Kathy cracked up, setting down the marshmallow back on the table and burying her face in her arms while Dante chirped like a demented pop star at her. "You skipped over all the violation and desecration!" she accused through giggles. "That's my favorite part!"

[rebelseekspizza]

"Awwww," Dante crooned. "Dirty little Kathy."